Mine trap-door.



H0. 7l3,|8|. Patented'Nov. H, i902.

' J. WACK.

MINE TRAP DOOR.

(Application filed Jan'. 2, 1902.) (No Model.)

6 Sheets-Sheot I.

No. 713,131. 5 Patented Nov. ll, I902.

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4 MINE TnAP noon.

(Application filed 3m. 2 1902.

(No Model.) s shm s m. 2.

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Patented Nov, ll, I902.

(Application filed 1p. 2, 1902 s Shoots-Shei 3.

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MINE TRAP DOOR.

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' m. 7134:. v Patented Nov; n, 1902.

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MINE TRAP D008.

(Application filed .rm'2, 1902.)

6 Sheets-$heet 4.

(No Model.)

Wihvassas No.. 713,181. Patented Nov.'|l, I902. J. WACK.

MINE TRAP D008. (Application filed argn. 2, 1902.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

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No. 7|3,|s|. Patented Nov. 1|, I902.

.1 WACK MINE TRAP 0008.

(Application filed Jan. 2, 1902.)

6 Sheets--Sheel 6.

(No Model.)

WIT/asses:

| 5 :ns coJvnom-urua. wuumufon n c UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

JOHN WAOK, OF CANTON, OHIO.

MINE TRAP-DOOR.

SPECIFICA'JJION formingpart Of Letters Patent No. 713,181, datedNovember 11, 1902.

Application filed January 2, 1902. Serial No. 88,149. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WACK, a citizen of the United States, residingat Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented newand useful Improvements in Mine Trap-Doors, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to mine trap-doors, and more particularly tomechanism for operating the same.

The object of the invention is to provide simple, durable, reliable, and.comparatively inexpensive'mechanisni for opening the doors upon theapproach of a mine-car, holding them open while the car is passingthrough the doorway, and then releasing them and permitting them toclose.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter more'fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewillustrating in a general way, but without details, the arrangement ofthe invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the mine-doorsclosed. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the mine-doors open. Fig. 4 isan enlarged detail perspective view of a portion of a track,illustrating the movable actuating-bar. Fig. 5 is a "erticalcrosssectional view through line a: as of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a similarView through line 11 y of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail view of thedoor-opcrating shaft, the weighted levers, and the I links connectingthe weighted levers to said shaft. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailperspective View of a section of a track, its movable actuating-bar, andthe mechanism controlled thereby for releasing the doors. Fig. 9 is avertical sectional view on line to w of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a detail topplan view of the movable actuating-bar and rail, showing the verticalflange of the bar slightly beveled or flared, so as to offer noobstruction to the passage of the flange of the wheel into engagementwith the horizontal portion of the bar, the tread of the rail on itsinner side being provided with a slight recess to permit of the flangeof the bar moving upwardly. Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of themeans for locking the doors in their open position. Fig. 12 is a similarview of several of the parts shown in Fig. 11, but arranged in adifferent position. Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the manner ofmounting the latch 21, the bracket 21 appearing in section. Fig. 13 is aperspective view of the upper end of the door-frame, showin g thesafety-valve; and Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view through the sameparts.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the track-rails; 2, the door-frame;3, the doors hinged to the vertical posts thereof-and adapted to closeacross the track and when so closed to be at angles to each other, asshown in Fig. 2.

4 denotes links pivoted to brackets 5, secured to the doors andconnected together at their inner ends by a stiff coiled spring 6, theenergy of which is exerted to close the doors.

7 denotes a vertical shaft journaled in suitable bearings 8 and providedwith door-operating cranks 9 and 10, the former of which is connected tothe farthermost door by a pivoted link 11, while the latter is connectedto the other door by a pivoted link 12. 13 and 13 denote cranks securedto said shaft.

.14 and 14' denote weighted crank-levers fixed to the shafts Z,journaled in brackets l along the sides of the track and connected tothe cranks 13 and 13' by links 15 and 15, which have a slip-jointconnection at 16 and 16 for a purpose hereinafter to appear, and each ofwhich consists of two parts connected together by turnbuckles 17,provided for compensating for expansion and contraction and wear at thejoints.

18 and 18 denote the actuating-bars for opening the doors, arrangedalong the track close to one of the rails thereof at some distance onopposite sides of the doors, the ends of the bars farthest from thedoors being closer to the track than the opposite ends, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 4:. Eachof these bars preferably consists of achannel-iron having a horizontal base a and vertical sides I). The endof each bar nearest the rail is supported to slide laterally upon afinger c of a bracket d, secured to the side of one of the ties and isheld in close contact with the rail by a coiled spring e. This slidingconnection of the bar with respect to the finger c is preferablyeifected by a yoke f, which is perforated to receive the finger c and isfirmly secured to one of the vertical webs of the bar. The opposite endof the bar on its inner side is provided with a lug g, which is pivotedby a link h to a bracket t', secured to one of the ties. This link is soarranged that upon depression of that end the bar will be moved towardthe rail. Each bar has also projecting down from this end a lugj, whichis pivoted to a crank 70, which in turn is fixed to the shaft Z, towhich one of the crank-levers 14 14' is fixed.

Assuming the car to be approaching in the direction of the arrow A(shownin Figs. 1 and 4) and the doors to be closed, the flange of thecar-wheel will roll upon the web portion act the bar 18, and as it rollsalong said bar will depress the opposite end toward the rail, whichmovement rocks the shaft Z, raises the crank-lever14 without disturbingthe weighted crank-lever 14, owing to its slip-joint connection with thelink 15, rotates the shaft 7, and thus swings the doors wide open intothe position shown in Fig. 3, in which position they are held by meansto be hereinafter described. A car moving in the opposite direction tothe arrow A after passing through the doors will have the flanges of itswheels on that side of the track where the bar is located pass betweenthe separated sides of the bar and rail, and as the car continues on itsjourney the flanges of its wheels will press out that end of the barwhich is close to the rail without depressing said bar, the spring 6yielding to permit of this lateral movement of the bar, and after thecar has passed said spring exerts its energy to force that end of thebar into close contact with or relation to the rail.

I shall now proceed to describe the means for holding the doors openafter having been opened by the mechanism just described.

One of the doors is provided with a latch 21, having an inclined orbeveled outer face 22. This latch is free to swing upwardly from itsnormal horizontal position, and when the doors are swung open the billof said latch is adapted to ride over a catch-stud 25, projectinglaterally from a bracket 26, and, striking an angle-bar 23, is knockeddownward into locked engagement with said stud, and thus in holding thedoor open to which the latch is attached holds the other door open,owing to the connection of both doors to the shaft 7, as one door cannotclose or open without closing or opening the other door. As shown inFig. 12, the latch 21 is pivoted to a bracket 21 and has a square faceto bear against the body portion of said bracket, whereby the latch isprevented from tilting down below a horizontal position, the upper rearedge of the latch being suitably curved, however, to permit it to swingvertically above the horizontal to engage the catchstud 25.

I will now proceed to describe the means for releasing said doors topermit them to close.

27 denotes a shaft journaled in suitable bearings 28 and provided at oneend with a crank-arm 29.

30 denotes an actuating-bar arranged alongside of one of the rails andextending through the doorway. This actuating-bar consistsof ahorizontal base 32 and a vertical flange 33, the latter being arrangedin close proximity to the tread of the track and in normal position heldslightly above the same. This bar has a rocking or tilting movement, asshown in dotted lines in Figs. 8 and 9, and is preferably held in placeby spikes or bolts 34. The ends of this bar, or, strictly speaking, theends of the vertical flange 33, are preferably flared outward and engagenotches 34:, formed in the tread of the rail. By this flaring of theflange 33 no obstruction is presented, the flange of the wheel beingmore readily engaged with the horizontal portion 32 of the bar anddepressing the same to the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 8 and9. The bar is provided with a laterally-projecting arm 35, which isconnected by a yoke 36 to the crank 29 of the shaft 27. Thus when saidbar 31 is depressed said shaft 27 will be rocked in its bearings.

37 denotes a crank fixed to the shaft 27 and provided at one end with anadjustable weight 38 and at its opposite end with a releasing-latch 39,acted upon by a spring 40 to force the bill of the latch toward the freeend of the latch 21. The doors have been described as being opened bythe depression of the bar 18 and as having been locked in this openposition by the engagement of the latch 21 with the catch-stud 25. Nowas the car passes on its way to the door-opening the bar 31 will bedepressed. The depression of this bar will rock the shaft 27 and swingits pivoted latch into engagement with the outer end of the latch 21,and while the car is on the bar 31 and is passing through the doorwaythe shaft 27 will be held in its rocked position, with its latch 39 inengagement with the latch 21; but the instant the wheels of the car passfrom engagement with the bar 31 the weight 38 will rock the shaft 27 inthe opposite direction and elevate the latch 39, which in turn willelevate the latch 21 from engagement with the catch-stud 25, and thuspermit the spring 6 to close the door.

When a car moves in the direction indicated by the arrow B, the partsoperate in the same manner as hereinbefore described, and a furtherdescription of the operation of the device is thought to be unnecessary.

Should an explosion take place in the mine at a point to the right ofthe door, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) the pressure of gases will forcethe doors open; but should an explosion take place in the mine at apoint on the opposite side of said doors said doors, owing totheirpeculiar arrangement,would not open. To offset this objection,lprovide means which consist ofa triangular plate 50, secured to the topcross-piece of the door-frame and formed, with a gas-escape opening 51,closed by a hinged downwardly-opening valve 52, held normally closed bythe weighted arm 53. It will thus be seen that when the gas-pressurewithin the mineexceeds the weight of the weighted arm 53 the valve willopen and permit the escape of gas downwardly through said opening. I

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a mine trap-door; of an actuating-baroperatively connected to said door to open the same, said bar having oneend arranged closer to a track-rail than its other end,spring-controlled means permitting that end of the bar which is closerto the rail to move laterally relative to the rail, and meansoperatively mounting the opposite end of the bar to move laterally anddownwardly toward the rail when the bar is depressed, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination with a mine trap-door; of an actuating-baroperatively connected to said door to open the same, said bar having oneend arranged closer to a track-rail than its opposite end, aguide-bracket, a yoke sliding on said bracket and fixed to that end ofthe bar which is closer to the rail, thereby adapting said end of thebar to move laterally relative to the rail, a spring acting on the yoketo move the bar toward the rail, and means operatively mounting theopposite end of the bar to move laterally and downwardly toward therailwhen the bar is depressed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a mine trap-door; of an actuating-baroperatively connected to said door to open the same, said bar having oneend arranged closer to a track-rail than its opposite end, aguide-bracket, ayoke sliding on said bracket and fixed to that end ofthe bar which is closer to the rail, thereby adapting said end of thebar to move laterally relative to the rail, a spring acting on the yoketo move the bar toward the rail, and a link supporting the opposite endof the bar and so arranged as to move that end of the bar laterally anddownwardly toward the rail when the bar is depressed, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with mine trap-doors, of actuating-bars arrangedadjacent to one of the rails and on opposite sides of the door, a

vertical shaft, two sets of cranks fixed to said shaft, one set beingpivotally connected to said doors, rock-shafts operatively connected tosaid actuating-bars, weighted crank-levers fixed to said rock-shafts,and links, the inner ends of which are pivotally connected to the otherset of cranks of the vertical shaft, and the outer ends of whichhaveaslip-joint connection with the weighted crank-levers, substantiallyas set forth.

5. The combination of a self-closing mine trap-door; of an actuating-bararranged adjacent to one of the rails of the track and 0perativelyconnected to said door for opening the same, a catch, a latch carried bysaid door and adapted to engage said catch and hold the door in openposition, a second actuatingbar arranged in close relation to thetrackrail, and releasing means operatively connected to said last-namedactuating-bar for releasing said latch from its engagement after the carhas passed through the door-opening, said latch and catch holding thedoor open against the tension of the self-closing means, whereby whenthe. latch is released, the door is allowed to close automatically,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A mine trap-door consisting of a doorframe and ahorizontally-disposed plate, secured to the upper cross-piece thereofand provided with a vent-opening, in combination with doors arranged indivergent position and adapted to abut against the sides of said plateand capable of swinging in but one direction, and a downwardly-openingweighted valve for normally closing the opening in said plate andyielding under excessive pressure to permit of the escape of theconfined gases within the mine, substantially as set forth.

7. 'A mine trap-door consisting of a doorframe, and a door capable ofswinging in but one direction, combined with a gas-escape vent, a valvefor closing said vent adapted to yield under excessive pressure topermit of the escape of confined gases within the mine, and means fornormally holding said valve closed, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a self-closing mine trap-door; of anactuating-bar operatively connected to said door for opening the same, acatch, a latch carried by said door and adapted to engage said catch andhold the door in open position, a second actuating-bar, and releasingmeans operatively connected to said last-named actuating-bar, saidreleasing means comprising a rock-shaft, a weighted lever'mounted uponsaid shaft, and a trip device carried by said lever to engage andrelease the latch when the actuating-bar is operated, said lever beingadapted to return automatically to its normal position by gravity,substantially as specified.

9. The combination with a self-closing mine trap-door; of anactuating-bar, a shaft provided with cranks, one of which is connectedto said door, a link connecting the actuatingbar with the other crank, acatch, alatch upon In testimony whereof I have hereunto set the door toengage said catch and hold the my hand in the presence of twosubscribing "1o door open, a second actuating-bar, a rocking Witnesses.

element operated by said bar, and a trip de- 5 Vice set in action bysaid rocking element to engage the latch and release the same from JOHNW'AOK.

Witnesses:

said catch to permit the door to close, sub- I CHAS. R. MILLER,stantially as set forth. I

CHAS. M. BALL.

